Smoking character figure



June 23, 1953 s. H. MssMoRE suoxmc CHARACTER FIGURE Filed March 18, 1950 Patented June 23,1953

3,642,69l. 7 SMOKING "CHARACTER FIGURE George Messmore, NevvYork, NQY, Application Maren '18, 1950, seri in 150,444 I This invention relates to new and useful im"- provements in smoking character figures.

Prior smoking character figures areunnatu-ral in that the smoke is discharged in a "steady stream or in an interrupted stream, or merely in puffs. There is therefore no resemblance to an actual smoker in which drawing andpuifing and exhaling and curling of the smoke'actual-ly occurs. The dominating object of this inventionresides in the constructionof a smokingcharacter figure in which the timing of the smokingis synchronized with the motion of the. figure and in which proper amounts of smoke are discharged both from the mouth and the pipe, or other articlebeing smoked.

a In accordance with this invention the new smoking character figure includes a mova-ble character figure having a mouthand a movable arm holding a smoking pipe, cigar or cigarette or other article being smoked, whichengages said mouth and which is moved. from "said mouth upon motion of saidmovable'arm." The inve'h tion proposes the use of two separate smoke producers connected respectively with'said'pipe and with said mouth. Drive'means is provided for periodically moving said movable arm through a cycle of movements which inclu'des moving the arm towards and from the mouth. A separate bellows is provided'for each of the smoke producers and an operating cam works each of said bellows for operating the bellows during said cycles to issue smoke from said'pipe as if said figure were drawing andpuffing when the pipe is in its mouth, and when "said arm moves from said mouth to issue smoke inj'curls at short spaced intervals from said pipe and also to issue smoke from said mouth as if exhaling. It isproposed' that said cams be driven by the drive means which works the movable arm so that the timing of the motions of'the'figure and the issuance of thesmoke are synchronized. vIt is pointed out that the cams control the action of the bellows, and'with this construction proper amounts of smoke may be issued fromthe mouth and from the pipe incorrect .amountsduring the operation of a complete cycle. 1 Another object of this invention resides in the particular construction of the smoke producers. It is proposed to so construct said smoke producers that at is alwayisia sufiici'ent' quantity of smoke which issues from the producers only upon the operation of adraft of air produced byithe bellows. J.. .Z'.;..i

Another. object of the invention is .theconstruction of a smoking character; figure as .:described which is simple-and durable and which may be manufactured and. sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention,

and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description andaccompanyingdrawing, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

' In the accompanying drawing formingamaterial part-of this disclosure: Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational .view. of a smoking character figure constructed inac cordance with this invention. I

*Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged 'v'ertical sectional View taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; a Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational'view of one of the smoke producers. n Fig. A is an end view of the smoke producer illustrated in Fig. 3 to which schematic .wiring has been 'applied'to'. show its operation. 'Ihe' smoking character figure, in accordance withth-is invention, includes a movable character figure it! having a mouth H and a movable arm lz holding a smoking pipe l3 or other smoking"item,"-whichengages said mouth ll andis moved from said mouth H upon. motion of said movable arm [2;- -The details of this: movable character figure will not be given in this speci= ficationas itformsno part of this 'i'nvention; However, it should be realized that the movable character figure may have numerous moving parts, such asits head, eyes, other" arm, etc.

A sm'oke producer I5 is provided with asmoke exit: tube i=6 which is connected with the mouth ll. 'This smoke producer l5-preferably is loe cated in the'headof thefigure adjacent said mouth 1 I. Another and similar, but separate, smoke producer IT is' located adjacent the pipe l3 andis provided with a smoke exit tube I8 which connects with the pipe [3. A bellows i9 is connected withthe smoke producerIS by a tube 20 which connects with the air inlet tube 2| of the smoke producer l5. Another bellows 22 is connectedby-a tube 23 with the air inlet tube 24 of thesmokeproducer l1. These-bel lows {l9and 22' are'mounted within the body of the character figure 10. The tubes 20 and 23 are flexible and extend through the 'body and figure andconnected with the arm [-2 so as to move the arm 1 2 upon motion thereof. This radial arm 26 is connected by a rod 21 with another rod 28 which is pivotally mounted at the end 29 upon a support 30. The arm 28 is provided with a cam follower 3| engaging a cam groove 32 of a cam 33 secured to a rotative shaft 34. This shaft 34 is connected with a gear reduction unit 35 which in turn is connected with the electric motor 36. When the motor 36 rotates the cam 33, the arm 28 will be oscillated upwards and downwards and this motion will be transmitted to the arms 26 and 21 to correspondingly move the movable arm |2.

Each of the bellows H1 and 22 is driven by a separate cam. More particularly, the bellows i9 is provided with an operator arm 38 which connects with an arm 39 pivotally mounted at the end 40 upon a standard 4|. The arm 39 is provided with a follower 42 engaging a cam groove 43 of a cam 44 secured to the shaft 34. When the shaft 34 is driven, the cam 44 will rotate and the follower 42 will oscillate the arms 39 and 36 so as to pump the bellows |9 to issue smoke from the mouth H in desired quantities with the periods synchronized with the motion of the arm l2 of the movable character figure Ill.

The bellows 22 is operated by an arm 46 which connects with an arm 41 pivotally supported at the end 48 upon a standard 49. The arm 41 is provided with a follower 50 which engages a cam groove in a cam 52 secured to the shaft 34. When the cam 52 rotates, the arms 41 and 46 will be oscillated to work the bellows 22 so as to issue smoke from the pipe I3 in desired amounts, the periods being synchronized with the operation of the arm |2 of the movable character figure I0.

Each of the smoke producers l5 and H are of identical construction. The smoke producer l5 will be described and shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4. It comprises a housing 60 containing a supply of mineral oil 6|. The housing 60 has a removable cover 62 which may be removed when mineral oil is added. The housing 60 is provided with a smoke exit tube l6 and with an air inlet tube 2|. These tubes l6 and 2| are arranged on opposite sides of the housing so that air may be blown through the housing from the air inlet tub 2| to the smoke tube IS. A heating coil 68 is mounted within the housing 60 and extends into the mineral oil 6|. This heating coil 68 includes an electric coil 63 connected with the secondary 64 of a transformer 65 having a primary winding 66.

The operation of the smoking character figure may be understood from the following:

Current is supplied to the transformer 65 so that the heating coil 68 provides sumcient heat to convert the mineral oil 6| into smoke within the housing 60. The electric motor 36 drives the shaft 34. The cam 33 on the shaft 34 oscillates the arms 28, 21 and 26 so as to move the movable arm |2 which moves towards the mouth so as to engage the pipe |3 in the mouth H and then moves away from the mouth II to disengage the pipe from the mouth. The exact motion of the movable arm |2 will be controlled by the formation of the cam groove 32. V

The cams 44 and 52 which are all driven by the shaft 34 simultaneously work the bellows l9 and 22. More specifically, the cam 44 works the bellows H! which controls the discharge of air through the smoke producer l5. The cam 52 works the bellows 22 which controls the discharge of air through the smoke producer H. The shape of the cam grooves 43 and 5| of the cams 44 and 52 are such that smoke issues from the mouth I and pipe |3 to simulate natural smoking. This simulation may be as follows. When the pipe I3 is in the mouth smoke is discharged from the pipe I3 in interrupted puffs to simulate drawing and pufling. When the arm l2 moves away from the mouth smoke is simultaneously discharged through the mouth I by the smoke producer l5 to simulate exhaling, and simultaneously the smoke producer I1 is operated so as to cause smoke to curl at intervals from the pipe I3.

It should be particularly noted that because the smoke producers I5 and I! are driven by the same drive means which drives the movable arm l2, the issuance of smoke from the mouth I I and pipe I3 will be synchronized with the motion of the figure l0. It should also be realized that because smoke issuing from the mouth II and the pipe l3 are controlled by the separate bellows 9 and 22 operated by separate cams 44 and 52, the quantity and timing of the smoke may be accurately controlled so as to simulate a person smokmg.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

1I- Iaving thus ciiescribed my invention, what I c am as new an desire to secure b Unit Letters Patent is: y ed states A smoking character figure, comprising a movable character figure having a mouth and an arm which holds a smoking pipe and which is movable in one direction to bring the smoking pipe to the mouth and which is movable in the opposite direction to move the smoking pipe away from the mouth, reciprocating drive means connected to said arm and causing it to move intermittently toward and away from the mouth and thereby causing the smoking pipe to move intermittently toward and away from the mouth, two separate smoke producers connected respectively with said smoking pipe and with said mouth, a separate bellows connected with each of said smoke producers for blowing smoke through said smoking pipe and said mouth, a pair of driven cams and a, pair of cam followers engaging said cams, said cam followers being connected to the bellows for actuating the same in response to the cam action thereon, said cams being contoured for irregular cam action upon the cam followers to cause irregular actuation of the bellows in stroke and timing in order to blow smoke through the smoking pipe and mouth at corresponding time intervals and in varying quantities, said cams being synchronized with said reciprocating drive means to synchronize the blowing of the smoke with the movement of the arm.

GEORGE H. MESSMORE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 721,787 Dorment Mar. 3, 1903 1,070,537 Rohrer Aug. 19, 1913 1,960,735 Frank May 29, 1934 2,311,199 Astradsson Feb. 16, 1943 2,324,359 Callan July 13, 1943 

